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Copy protections are getting worse and worse (someone read about the Ubisoft debacle?), but Steam is running really really good and offers some nice features. I think most Windows gamers will agree that as long as Valve is controlling Steam, you're good to go.

I wonder what kind of exit strategy Valve has if they ever have to close the doors of Steam. Will they put all games in "offline mode", so you don't depend on the Steam servers anymore?

Each of your bought games is using a licensed product key of that game(that's why it sometimes happens that they run out of keys during a sale and need to get more from the developer / distributor). So I'd bet if Steam ever goes down, you would get the list of all your license keys and could use them during a normal install of said game.

Steam's DRM is completely different from all other DRM's. The way Steam works by controlling distributing games is not restricting. It is rather enabling. If my disc blows up, cratches or by any other means renders it unreadable then I can still download my game and play it.

I don't need the disc. I don't need the CD key. There are not evil rootkits. It is not restricting me at all.

In fact it is enabling me to download and play my games everywhere. I can download it so much (if I wanted to) that Valve's bandwith costs make them lose their profit from me buying once and play everywhere.; It can even make them lose money (and they probably already did, lol ).

They have, and tested it, an exit trategy. Valve's DRM doesn't make me play the game less, or not at all. It lets me play games more. Even when they are bankrupt!

Now onto the Digital Restriction Management that is everywhere else: I am highly against that! And so unless Primal Carnage goes Steam and doesn't implement its own copy protection whatsoever I will not buy it. I will not even think about buying it for a second!

It's either no copy protection at all and laying the protection in Valve's hand or a massive no go!

And that is why we are all against DRM in the first place, because it restricts. Steam's DRM enables by decrypting games that do not have any copy protection themselves. The only reason these games are not playable on their own is because they are encrypted. They do not require Steam at all. And FWIW; you can download them all decrypted and you do not need a crack for them.

I bought all my Valve games for a reason and only downloaded Half-Life 2 because I didn't know about the backup features and the official unlock forevah patch that Valve tested inhouse.

Steam's DRM is completely different from all other DRM's. The way Steam works by controlling distributing games is not restricting. It is rather enabling. If my disc blows up, cratches or by any other means renders it unreadable then I can still download my game and play it.

The DRM and the other backup and re-download features are entirely separate of the DRM. You do not need a DRM system to allow these things.

But overall, I agree. I myself have the Orange Box (Half-Life 2 series, Portal, TF2) and Steam isn't too obtrusive. Although it still isn't completely ideal in me always needing to use Steam to be able to play a game. I also doubt I'll truly buy another game from there (I bought Orange Box and the like before I had properly educated myself on the dangers and pitfalls of DRM).

The DRM and the other backup and re-download features are entirely separate of the DRM. You do not need a DRM system to allow these things.

But overall, I agree. I myself have the Orange Box (Half-Life 2 series, Portal, TF2) and Steam isn't too obtrusive. Although it still isn't completely ideal in me always needing to use Steam to be able to play a game. I also doubt I'll truly buy another game from there (I bought Orange Box and the like before I had properly educated myself on the dangers and pitfalls of DRM).

You have not read everything I said in this thread, have you?

Steam allows you to play games offline if you set it to remember you account.

Also: Steam is just a distribution system that downloads, lists and updates your game. It just also has a function to decrypt files. Source games are just partialy encrypted by Valve.

Backing up the games just does Ctrl-c + Ctrl+v your game folder to another place. You don't need Steam itself to play decrypted Source games. Illegal downloads have proven this... The 'crack' you then need is just a decrypted exe file, nothing more...

Steam's DRM is completely different from all other DRM's. The way Steam works by controlling distributing games is not restricting. It is rather enabling. If my disc blows up, cratches or by any other means renders it unreadable then I can still download my game and play it.

I don't need the disc. I don't need the CD key. There are not evil rootkits. It is not restricting me at all.

In fact it is enabling me to download and play my games everywhere. I can download it so much (if I wanted to) that Valve's bandwith costs make them lose their profit from me buying once and play everywhere.; It can even make them lose money (and they probably already did, lol ).

They have, and tested it, an exit trategy. Valve's DRM doesn't make me play the game less, or not at all. It lets me play games more. Even when they are bankrupt!

Now onto the Digital Restriction Management that is everywhere else: I am highly against that! And so unless Primal Carnage goes Steam and doesn't implement its own copy protection whatsoever I will not buy it. I will not even think about buying it for a second!

It's either no copy protection at all and laying the protection in Valve's hand or a massive no go!

And that is why we are all against DRM in the first place, because it restricts. Steam's DRM enables by decrypting games that do not have any copy protection themselves. The only reason these games are not playable on their own is because they are encrypted. They do not require Steam at all. And FWIW; you can download them all decrypted and you do not need a crack for them.

I bought all my Valve games for a reason and only downloaded Half-Life 2 because I didn't know about the backup features and the official unlock forevah patch that Valve tested inhouse.

I understand the reasoning as to why people aren't overly bothered by the DRM side of steam because of the convenience it brings but I still can't bring myself to like it.